The demand for information increaes geometrically over time as the Information Age unfolds. When you stop to think about it, data mankind has published online occurs in more forms than is humanly possible to digest. Researchers estimate that a typical search engine index consists of 1 trillion or more documents and that the Web may create up to one billion pages every day. And though a large quantity of Web pages are lost when big hosting companies close (like Yahoo!'s GeoCities and Vox), the mountain of online data continues growing almost exponentially.With so many Websites to explore we are easily distracted on our journey from here to somewhere we have never been before. I know that randomly clicking on links in Web pages can be an all-day affair. I do love to explore the Web. And we shan't hope we can visit all the Websites that exist.
Yet what seems most overwhelming to me is that these estimates cover no more than what some people call the indexable Web or the known Web. Some very interesting studies suggest there exist trillions more Web documents stored in protected sources named the Hidden Web or the Deep Web (see this Wikipedia article for more information). This content is stored behind barriers that have been compared to moats around medieval castles.
So-called moated data warehouses use obscure or proprietary directories and could be blocked from search engines by expensive pricing models, or they may be embedded in encypted files. Developers for these information storage sites provide specialized search tools to help people dig into the deep, dark content found in the unindexed Web.
Between the two Webs, existing side-by-side with each other, exists the intersection for public data resources. Usually named public records, such half-public data shops possess simple search tools although they may be made more accessible through fee-based background records search utilities. Judging by articles on the Background Records Blog, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of Internet archives of public records.
Background records are often drawn from government record archives or they may be part of commercial databases, like telephone and business directories, class or school reunion sites, among others. In the same way a career profile site engages in a type of public record keeping. However, common views relate public records with data from governments.
For those who need to search in the public data to find out about someone you know, if only to do a complete background search, your time may be short or maybe you lack the skill to utilize so many tools. For this reason the public information search industry counts as a big commerce. A few observers put public records revenues in the billions of dollars.
Finding and analyzing untold volumes of background records obtainable just for Americans alone lies mostly beyond the abilities of all people. A basic Web search tool like Bing or Google barely scratches the volume of the huge amount of data. Numerous educational Websites discuss the nature of and condition of background checks.
